The Diverse Families bookshelf was created and funded through numerous grants. Due to lack of additional grants and the loss of key personnel, the project has come to an end. We have tremendously enjoyed creating this database and hope that it can help bring readers and books together.
Browse by LGBTQ:
Gender nonconformity
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Riding Freedom
Pam Muñoz Ryan
A fictionalized account of Charley (Charlotte) Parkhurst who ran away from an orphanage, posed as a boy, moved to California, and fooled everyone by her appearance.
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Roland Humphrey is Wearing a What?
Eileen Kiernan-Johnson
Roland Humphrey is a little boy who likes sparkly things and bright colors. He likes both sports and ballet, and doesn't understand why girls can like both but not boys. Will he bow to peer pressure, or follow his heart and be the authentic Roland Humphrey?
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Rough, Tough Charley
Verla Kay
A brief illustrated biography of Charley Parkhurst, a stagecoach driver and pioneer of California who posed for most of her life as a man.
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Roving Pack
Sassafras Lowrey
Click, a straight-edge transgender kid, is searching for hir place within a pack of newly sober gender rebels in the dilapidated punk houses of Portland, Oregon circa 2002. Ze embarks on a dizzying whirlwind of leather, sex, hormones, house parties, and protests until hir gender fluidity takes an unexpected turn and the pack is sent reeling.
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Ruin of Stars
Linsey Miller
As one if the Queen's assassins, Sal finally has the power, prestige, and permission to hunt down the lords who killed their family. But Sal still has to figure out who the culprits are and must enlist some old friendsand enemiesto help. Meanwhile, tensions are escalating with the Queen, and the charming Elise is being held prisoner by her father. But there's something terribly wrong in the north. Talk of the return of shadows, missing children, and magic abounds. As Sal takes out the people responsible for their ruined homeland, they learn secrets and truths that can't be forgotten.
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Sarah Emma Edmonds Was a Great Pretender: The True Story of a Civil War Spy
Carrie Jones
A picture book biography of Sarah Emma Edmonds, a Canadian-born woman who served as a spy in the Union Army during the Civil War.
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Sometimes the Spoon Runs Away with Another Spoon: Coloring Book
Jacinta Bunnell
Re-creating nursery rhymes and fairy tales, this radical activity book takes anecodotes from the lives of real kids and mixes them with classic tales to create true-to-life characters, situations, and resolutions.
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Sparkle Boy
Leslea Newman
Three-year-old Casey wants what his older sister, Jessie, has--a shimmery skirt, glittery painted nails, and a sparkly bracelet--but Jessie does not approve until an encounter with two bullies helps her evolve to a place of acceptance of her gender creative younger brother.
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Teddy's Favorite Toy
Christian Trimmer
Teddy's favorite toy has the best manners, and the sickest fighting skills, and the ability to pull off a number of fierce looks. But when his toy goes missing, it turns out there's another woman around who's pretty fierce--it's Teddy's mom, and she will stop at nothing to reunite Teddy with his favorite toy.
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Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel
Sara Farizan
High school junior Leila's Persian heritage already makes her different from her classmates at Armstead Academy, and if word got out that she liked girls, life would be twice as hard. But when new girl, Saskia, shows up, Leila starts to take risks she never thought she would, especially when it looks as if the attraction between them is mutual, so she struggles to sort out her growing feelings by confiding in her old friends.
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The 57 Bus
Dashka Slater
One teenager in a skirt. One teenager with a lighter. One moment that changes both of their lives forever. If it weren't for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. But one afternoon on the bus ride home from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment. The 57 Bus is Dashka Slater's true account of the case that garnered international attention and thrust both teenagers into the spotlight.
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The ABC’s of LGBT+
Ashley Mardell
Shares in-depth definitions of LGBT+ terms, and offers personal anecdotes from LGBT+ people.
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The Boy and the Bindi
Vivek Shraya
A playful story about a young boy's fascination with the dot on his mother's forehead.
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The Boy in the Dress
David Walliams
Dennis' life is boring and lonely. His mother left two years ago, his truck driver father is depressed, his brother is a bully and, worst of all, "no hugging" is one of their household rules. But one thing Dennis does have is soccer--he's the leading scorer on his team. Oh, and did we mention his secret passion for fashion?
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The Cardboard Kingdom
Chad Sell
Welcome to a neighborhood of kids who transform ordinary boxes into colorful costumes, and their ordinary block into cardboard kingdom. This is the summer when sixteen kids encounter knights and rogues, robots and monsters—and their own inner demons—on one last quest before school starts again. In the Cardboard Kingdom, you can be anything you want to be—imagine that! The Cardboard Kingdom was created, organized, and drawn by Chad Sell with writing from ten other authors: Jay Fuller, David DeMeo, Katie Schenkel, Kris Moore, Molly Muldoon, Vid Alliger, Manuel Betancourt, Michael Cole, Cloud Jacobs, and Barbara Perez Marquez. The Cardboard Kingdom affirms the power of imagination and play during the most important years of adolescent identity-searching and emotional growth.
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The Day Joanie Frankenhauser Became a Boy
Francess Lin Lantz
Tired of gender stereotyping at home, in the classroom, and especially on the football field, ten-year-old Joanie pretends to be a boy when her family moves to a new town, but soon finds there are unexpected consequences.
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The Detective's Assistant
Kate Hannigan
In 1859, eleven-year-old Nell goes to live with her aunt, Kate Warne, the first female detective for Pinkerton's National Detective Agency. Nell helps her aunt solve cases, including a mystery surrounding Abraham Lincoln, and the mystery of what happened to Nell's own father. Includes author's note and bibliographic references.
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The Football Girl
Thatcher Heldring
In the summer before high school, Tessa's decision to play football, instead of running cross-country, affects her blossoming romance with football prospect Caleb, her relationship with best friends Marina and Lexie, who are counting on Tessa to try out for cross-country, and her home life with her politically ambitious mother.
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the GENDER book
Mel Reiff Hill, Jay Mays, and Robin Mack
A fun and colorful resource that illustrates the beautiful diversity of gender.
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The Manny Files
Christian Burch
A shy young boy learns how to be more outgoing and self-confident from his male nanny.
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The Only Boy in Ballet Class
Denise Gruska
Tucker Dohr loves ballet but is constantly teased by football players his age for being a sissy. However, they see him in a whole new light when circumstances place him in a position to help them win the football championship.
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The Prince and the Dressmaker
Jen Wang
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride--or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia--the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
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The Pros of Cons
Allison Cherry, Lindsay Ribar, and Michelle Schusterman
Phoebe Byrd, Vanessa Montoya-O'Callaghan, and Callie Buchannan are three teenagers with very different interests and somewhat different problems, but today they are all in Orlando to attend different conventions/competitions--and when a crazy mix-up in the hotel lobby brings the three girls together, they form an unlikely friendship against the chaotic background of the Orlando convention scene.
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The Royal Heart
Greg McGoon
Once upon a time, in a far away land, an heir to the throne is born. The King has a son to follow in his footsteps. But life might not be quite as it appears for this Royal Family. All will be revealed on their child's 16th birthday. Family love triumphs over doubt, and together they grow stronger. Join this Royal Family on the path of discovery, acceptance, and celebration.
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The Sissy Duckling
Harvey Fierstein
Elmer the duck is teased because he is different, but he proves himself by not only surviving the winter, but also saving his Papa.